You are on page 1of 6

1

PRESS RELEASE
GOVERNMENTS CAN TURN THE TIDE AGAINST PIRACY IN 2011
First actions by ISPs to stop mass illegal file-sharing announced in France, Ireland
and South Korea in 2010
Progress expected in UK, New Zealand, the EU and Malaysia in 2011
Digital revenues up six per cent to US$4.6 billion in 2010, with 400+ licensed
services
Piracy is hitting jobs and investment, according to IFPI Digital Music Report
London, 20th January 2011 Action to stop digital music piracy is gaining momentum
worldwide, with implementation by ISPs of warnings and deterrent sanctions taking effect in
three countries in 2010 and governments in other countries expected to implement measures
in 2011.
ISP cooperation measures are now in place aimed at substantially reducing illegal file-sharing
in France, South Korea and Ireland. Governments in several other countries, including the
UK, New Zealand and Malaysia, are expected to implement new laws in 2011 and the
European Union is reviewing its intellectual property enforcement legislation.
A comprehensive overview of the global digital music sector is provided in IFPIs Digital
Music Report 2011, published today. The report shows that consumer choice for accessing
music via digital channels continued to grow in 2010. New easy-to-use subscription models,
such as Spotify, Deezer and Vodafone, expanded to complement the hundreds of download
services already available to fans. Record companies have also partnered with ISPs and
mobile operators to offer music services in Ireland, Taiwan, Italy, South Korea, Denmark,
Norway and Sweden.
Digital music revenues grew by an estimated six per cent globally in 2010 to US$4.6 billion,
accounting for 29 per cent of record companies trade revenues in 2010.
Industry action is helping develop this legitimate business. Limewire, the biggest source of
infringing downloads in the US, has been declared illegal and Mininova, a major BitTorrent
site, shut down its illegal activities. The Pirate Bay was blocked by a court in Italy and its
operators criminal convictions were upheld by the Court of Appeal in Sweden.
Despite these developments, however, digital piracy continues to massively erode industry
revenues, hitting jobs, investment in new music and consumer choice. The report
comprehensively reviews the scale and impact of the problem. Notably:
Fewer new artists are breaking through globally. Total sales by debut artists in the
global top 50 album chart in 2010 were just one quarter of the level they achieved in
2003

Traditionally vibrant music local industries, such as Spain and Mexico, are especially
hard hit. In Spain, where music sales fell by an estimated 22 per cent in 2010, no new
home-grown artist featured in the countrys top 50 album chart, compared with 10 in
2003
Jobs are at risk across the creative industries. Independent research in 2010 from Tera
Consultants, backed by trade unions, found that 1.2 million jobs could be lost across
the creative industries in Europe alone by 2015 if no action is taken to tackle piracy.
Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, says: Many governments are now recognising the
need for proportionate and effective steps to curb piracy. In the last year, France and South
Korea implemented systems of warnings and deterrent sanctions that will for the first time
engage ISPs in reducing peer-to-peer infringement on their networks.
Similar moves are underway in the UK, New Zealand and Malaysia. The European Union
is reviewing its enforcement legislation. The momentum for a solution is building, and that is
grounds for optimism.
As we enter 2011, digital piracy, and the lack of adequate legal tools to fight it, remains the
biggest threat to the future of creative industries. Great new legitimate music offerings exist
all over the world, offering consumers a wide range of ways to access music. Yet they
operate in a market that is rigged by piracy, and they will not survive if action is not taken to
address this fundamental problem. This is the challenge and the opportunity for governments
to seize in 2011.
For further information contact:
Adrian Strain/Alex Jacob
IFPI Communications
+44 (0)207 878 7935
Press-office@ifpi.org
To order hard copies of the report please email laura.childs@ifpi.org
Notes to editors:
About IFPI
IFPI is the organisation that promotes the interests of the international recording industry
worldwide. Its membership comprises some 1,400 major and independent companies in more
than 66 countries. It also has affiliated industry national groups in 45 countries. IFPIs
mission is to promote the value of recorded music, safeguard the rights of record producers
and expand the commercial uses of recorded music in all markets where its members operate

IFPI DIGITAL MUSIC REPORT - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


Consumers drive new business models
The report outlines the way that record companies have revolutionised their business models
to meet the demands of digitally literate consumers.
Digital channels now account for 29 per cent of global music industry revenues, up from 25
per cent in 2009. Growth in 2010 was particularly strong in Europe (up nearly 20 per cent),
while sales of digital albums rose strongly in major markets (up 29 per cent in the UK, 43 per
cent in France and 13 per cent in the US).
The report outlines the latest developments in the digital music marketplace. Subscription
services enjoyed success in 2010, with Spotify reporting more than 750,000 paying
subscribers and Vodafone Music more than 600,000 customers across eight markets in
Europe. Deezer has achieved significant reach in France where it is used by 13 per cent of
active internet users.
Record companies have struck a range of subscription deals with ISPs and mobile operators
including Eircom (Ireland), Far EasTone Communications (Taiwan), FASTWEB (Italy), SK
Telecom (South Korea), TDC (Denmark), Telenor (Norway), Telia (Sweden) and Vodafone
(Europe). Consumers today can access more than 13 million tracks from more than 400 legal
music services worldwide.
New partnerships with ISPs and mobile operators are vital to the music industrys digital
strategy. A report by Ovum in 2010 estimated that ISPs could achieve more than 100
million in additional annual revenue by 2013 by running music services. Informa Telecoms
and Media estimated that large mobile operators in Europe could realise up to 80 million
each in the first year of a partnership with established music streaming services.
Music video services such as VEVO and MTV are commanding significant audiences and
monetising them by selling targeted advertising. YouTube remains the most popular platform
for viewing music videos online, accounting for around 40 per cent of online videos watched
in major markets. Justin Biebers Baby is the most watched music video online with more
than 430 million views on YouTube.
Cloud music ventures such as Sonys Music Unlimited are bringing in a new generation of
licensed services giving access to music across many platforms and devices. More such deals
are expected in 2011, enabling fans to access music stored on remote servers (clouds) for use
on a range of internet-connected devices including smartphones, games consoles, TVs and
Blu-ray players.
Yet despite these developments, digital music remains a sector with enormous growth
potential. Just 16.5 per cent of online users in the US purchase music online (NPD Group)
and 14 per cent in the UK (Harris Interactive).
Digital piracy is a continuing problem
Digital piracy exists on a vast scale and is growing rapidly. File-sharing on unlicensed peerto-peer networks remains rife and alternative forms of illegal distribution, such as
cyberlockers, illegal streaming sites and forums, are also a serious and growing problem.

Piracy trends vary markedly by country, with independent research suggesting Spain and
Brazil are among the markets most hit, with 45 per cent and 44 per cent of active internet
users respectively using unlicensed services monthly (The Nielsen Company). This
compares with an average across the EU top five markets of 23 per cent.
Yet even in countries with comparatively low levels of usage of unlicensed services, the
volume of unauthorised music consumption vastly eclipses the volume of legal music
consumption. In the UK, for example, 76 per cent of the music obtained online in 2010 was
unlicensed (Harris Interactive).
Third-party research consistently shows the vast majority of content distributed on filesharing networks is copyright infringing. The Internet Commerce Security Laboratory found
in April 2010 that 89 per cent of torrent files from a representative sample linked to
infringing content. Professor Waterman of Pennsylvania University found in October 2010
that 98.8 per cent of the files requested from a representative sample available through
Limewire were not authorised for free distribution.
Independent research consistently shows that availability of content for free is the main driver
of online piracy. In 2010, new surveys confirmed this trend in Sweden (GfK), Australia (CCi
Digital Futures), the UK (Harris Interactive) and China (The Nielsen Company).
A study by Adermon & Liang of Uppsala University in Sweden found that physical music
sales would be 72 per cent higher and digital music sales 131 per cent higher in the absence
of piracy. The researchers concluded piracy is the main cause of the decline in sales.
In Spain, the recorded music market declined by an estimated 22 per cent in 2010 and no new
local artists broke into the countrys top 50 album chart compared with 10 back in 2003. In
Mexico, investment in artists has fallen by 69 per cent since 2005 and domestic releases have
declined by 45 per cent. In the US, the number of people employed as musicians fell by 17
per cent between 1999 and 2009 off the back of a 53 per cent decline in record sales.
A similar trend is now appearing internationally. The trend in global top 50 album sales in
recent years shows a striking decline in both the number and proportion of successful releases
globally by new artists. Between 2003 and 2010, the combined sales of debut albums
featuring in the global top 50 fell by 77 per cent, from 47.7 million to 10.8 million (January
to November). At the same time the number of debut albums in the global top 50 has fallen,
from 10 in 2003 to seven in 2010.
The live performance market offers no guarantee of growing revenues. Pollstar reported that
box office sales of the worlds top 50 tours fell by 12 per cent in 2010 to US$2.9 billion.
The top touring performers were Bon Jovi, AC/DC, U2, Lady Gaga and Metallica, all acts
with extensive catalogues established through record sales.
Trade unions have responded to the threat to jobs by urging policymakers to take action.
Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the UKs Trade Union Congress, says: There is still
time to act before the creative industries suffer catastrophic loss, but our fear is that not
enough has been done and governments are too willing to respond to those who portray theft
and freedom. We feel the onus is on ISPs to play their part in countering piracy.

The need for ISP responsibility


Innovative business models alone are not enough to combat the high levels of digital piracy
that exist worldwide. Cooperation from ISPs is a key component to tackling the problem and
where voluntary agreement is not possible then government regulation should ensure that
intellectual property rights are respected online.
The graduated response model to tackling piracy requires ISPs to assist rights holders in
tackling copyright infringement on their networks. Graduated response is a proportionate
approach that involves an escalating system of notifications about copyright infringement
culminating in deterrent sanctions. ISPs are provided with evidence by rights holders
identifying the IP addresses used to publicly disseminate copyright infringing material.
The Government response momentum builds in 2010
France led the way in 2007 by enacting a graduated response law which is now in operation.
The Creation and Internet Law created an independent agency called HADOPI that is
responsible for alerting copyright infringers about their illegal activity. The HADOPI
procedure involves judicial oversight and is fully compliant with EU law. The law began to
be applied, with notices being sent, in September 2010.
South Korea was another early adopter of graduated response, passing a law in April 2009.
Sending of graduated response notices commenced in March 2010 and the first account
suspensions were announced in November. Parallel to the new law, the government has run
consumer education programmes including copyright classes in school.
The UK became the third major recorded music market to introduce a law incorporating
graduated response measures when the Digital Economy Act became law in April 2010. The
Act requires ISPs to cooperate with rights holders in a system of notifications to infringing
users. If this fails to reduce online copyright infringement by 70 per cent or more then ISPs
could be required to implement technical measures to stop a customers persistent online
infringement. No notices have yet been issued under the new law.
Graduated response was introduced in Ireland by a legal settlement between Eircom and
IRMA. The settlement was bolstered by a judgment in April 2010 that confirmed this
method of enforcing intellectual property rights does not violate data protection rights. The
pilot phase of the programme is underway, with Eircom sending notices to infringing users.
In October 2010, a court ruling brought against UPC approved the graduated response
approach but failed to issue an injunction directing UPC to implement it due to shortcomings
in the way Ireland had implemented EU legislation.
Legislation adopting the principles of graduated response was enacted in Taiwan in July 2009
and Chile in May 2010. It is under consideration in a number of other countries, with New
Zealand expected to pass a new law within weeks.
The importance of education
Consumer education plays an important role in the music industrys digital strategy. IFPI and
its national affiliates are involved in dozens of public education programmes worldwide.
Four international consumer education programmes are highlighted in the report:

Young People, Music and the Internet This guide for parents and teachers, published
in cooperation with international childrens charity Childnet, is currently available in
English and Spanish with further translations planned. A UK adaptation was also
backed by the film and television industries - www.childnet.com/downloading.
Music Matters This programme was launched in the UK by artists, retailers,
songwriters, managers and record labels. It aims to remind people of the value of
music and highlights licensed services www.whymusicmatters.org.
Pro-music An international information campaign about online music supported by
major and independent record companies, music publishers, artists and retailers. It
provides details of the 400+ legal music services worldwide www.pro-music.org.
Pop4Schools A new programme run by an independent company that enables
primary school children to gain a better understanding of how music is produced.
Children role-play various roles in the process of creating and promoting a piece of
music as they learn core curriculum subjects www.pop4schools.com.

Global top 10 digital singles


Ke$ha topped the global Top 10 singles chart in 2010 with sales of 12.8 million copies. This
compares to 9.8 million copies of Lady Gagas Poker Face which topped the chart in 2009.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Artist
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga feat. Beyonc
Eminem feat. Rihanna
Lady Gaga
Usher feat. Will.i.am
Katy Perry
Train
Justin Bieber
Black Eyed Peas
Paramore

Title
TiK ToK
Bad Romance
Love The Way You Lie
Telephone
OMG
California Gurls
Hey, Soul Sister
Baby
I Gotta Feeling
crushcrushcrush

Sales (m)
12.8
9.7
9.3
7.4
6.9
6.7
6.6
6.4
6.1
6.1

You might also like